Researchers are finding extraordinary new uses for what we throw away. Beet pulp may help crops resist disease, while composted coconut fibers could replace peat moss. Discarded radish and beet greens are rich in bioactive compounds that boost gut health and protect cells. Food waste is rapidly becoming a source of sustainable solutions for both agriculture and health.
FULL STORY
Trash is turning into treasure as food waste fuels breakthroughs in farming, health, and sustainability. Credit: Shutterstock
Food waste can be far more valuable than the pile of scraps left behind after a meal. Scientists are uncovering surprising ways to turn discarded materials -- from dried beet pulp to coconut fibers processed by millipedes -- into useful resources. In four new studies published in ACS journals, researchers reveal how food waste can offer eco-friendly tools for agriculture and new sources of beneficial compounds for medicine.
1. Sugar by-product may "beet" wheat disease.
In a study published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found that sugar beet pulp could help farmers cut down on synthetic pesticide use. This leftover pulp, which makes up about 80% of the beet after sugar extraction, was transformed into carbohydrates that trigger plants' natural immune responses. When tested on wheat, these compounds helped protect against fungal infections such as powdery mildew.
2. Composted coconuts help seedlings grow.
Coconut fibers broken down by millipedes may serve as a sustainable replacement for peat moss, a material commonly used to start seedlings but often sourced from fragile wetland ecosystems. A study published in ACS Omega explored this "millicompost" and found that, when combined with other plant materials, it supported the healthy growth of bell pepper seedlings as effectively as traditional peat-based mixes.
3. Radish leaves support gut health.
A review in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that the often-discarded tops of radishes could be more nutritious than the roots themselves. These peppery greens contain abundant fiber and bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides and antioxidants. In lab and animal studies, they promoted the growth of beneficial gut microbes, hinting that they might also boost digestive health in humans.
4. Beet greens supply bioactive ingredients.
Research described in ACS Engineering Au outlines a way to preserve the powerful compounds extracted from beet leaves for use in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Scientists created microparticles by drying a mixture of antioxidant-rich beet-green extract with an edible biopolymer. The resulting encapsulated particles not only remained stable but also showed greater antioxidant activity than the uncoated extract, suggesting that this process helps protect the bioactive ingredients from degradation.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal References:
Camille Carton, Josip Šafran, Sangeetha Mohanaraj, Romain Roulard, Jean-Marc Domon, Solène Bassard, Natacha Facon, Benoît Tisserant, Gaelle Mongelard, Laurent Gutierrez, Béatrice Randoux, Maryline Magnin-Robert, Jérôme Pelloux, Corinne Pau-Roblot, Anissa Lounès-Hadj Sahraoui. Valorization of Sugar Beet Byproducts into Oligogalacturonides with Protective Activity against Wheat Powdery Mildew. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2025; 73 (38): 24237 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05099[1]
Luiz Fernando de Sousa Antunes, André Felipe de Sousa Vaz, Giulia da Costa Rodrigues dos Santos, Talita dos Santos Ferreira, Renata Rodrigues dos Santos, Renata dos Santos Alves, Jaqueline Carvalho de Almeida, Marco Antonio de Almeida Leal, Maria Elizabeth Fernandes Correia. Replacing Commercial Substrate with Millicompost: A Sustainable Approach Using Different Green Wastes Combined with Millicompost for Bell Pepper Seedling Production in Urban Agriculture. ACS Omega, 2025; 10 (37): 43129 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c06388[2]
Wonchan Yoon, Miri Park, Guijae Yoo, Young-Soo Kim, Ho-Young Park. Bioactive Compounds and Health Benefits of Radish Greens. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2025; 73 (39): 24517 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08263[3]
Leonardo de Freitas Marinho, Stefania Mottola, Henrique Di Domenico Ziero, Larissa Castro Ampese, Mariarosa Scognamiglio, Iolanda De Marco, Ernesto Reverchon, Tânia Forster Carneiro. Evaluation of Microparticles Obtained from Beet Leaf Extracts (Beta vulgaris L.) Using Supercritical Assisted Atomization (SAA). ACS Engineering Au, 2025; DOI: 10.1021/acsengineeringau.5c00044[4]
Cite This Page:
American Chemical Society. "Scientists find gold hiding in food waste." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 October 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105518.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2025, October 12). Scientists find gold hiding in food waste. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 12, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105518.htm
American Chemical Society. "Scientists find gold hiding in food waste." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105518.htm (accessed October 12, 2025).
Dec. 4, 2024 Coconut palms are king throughout the tropics, serving as the foundation for human lives and cultures across the Pacific Ocean for centuries. However, 200 years of planting by colonial interests ...
Oct. 21, 2024 Household food waste is an important contributor to global food loss and waste and greenhouse gas emissions, but not much is known about what types of food are wasted the most and by whom. Now, ...
Aug. 23, 2023 New research suggests that natural selection, famous for rewarding advantageous differences in organisms, can also preserve similarities. The researchers worked with a plant called wild radish and ...
Feb. 23, 2022 Researchers have developed a way to improve crop quality without needing to create special genetically modified plants. The new technique relies on a spray that introduces bioactive molecules into ...
Jan. 13, 2022 Scientists have developed ways to decipher effects of the CO2 rise during the past 100 years on metabolic fluxes of the key plant species in peatlands, mosses. Analyses of cellulose in peat cores ...
Sep. 15, 2021 Coconut trees grow slowly and are difficult to clone. Scientists a multiplied seedlings faster and conserved coconut genetic resources for the long term. This will help preserve coconut tree ...
Researchers are finding extraordinary new uses for what we throw away. Beet pulp may help crops resist disease, while composted coconut fibers could replace peat moss. Discarded radish and beet greens are rich in bioactive compounds that boost gut health and protect cells. Food waste is rapidly becoming a source of sustainable solutions for both agriculture and health.
FULL STORY
Trash is turning into treasure as food waste fuels breakthroughs in farming, health, and sustainability. Credit: Shutterstock
Food waste can be far more valuable than the pile of scraps left behind after a meal. Scientists are uncovering surprising ways to turn discarded materials -- from dried beet pulp to coconut fibers processed by millipedes -- into useful resources. In four new studies published in ACS journals, researchers reveal how food waste can offer eco-friendly tools for agriculture and new sources of beneficial compounds for medicine.
1. Sugar by-product may "beet" wheat disease.
In a study published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found that sugar beet pulp could help farmers cut down on synthetic pesticide use. This leftover pulp, which makes up about 80% of the beet after sugar extraction, was transformed into carbohydrates that trigger plants' natural immune responses. When tested on wheat, these compounds helped protect against fungal infections such as powdery mildew.
2. Composted coconuts help seedlings grow.
Coconut fibers broken down by millipedes may serve as a sustainable replacement for peat moss, a material commonly used to start seedlings but often sourced from fragile wetland ecosystems. A study published in ACS Omega explored this "millicompost" and found that, when combined with other plant materials, it supported the healthy growth of bell pepper seedlings as effectively as traditional peat-based mixes.
3. Radish leaves support gut health.
A review in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that the often-discarded tops of radishes could be more nutritious than the roots themselves. These peppery greens contain abundant fiber and bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides and antioxidants. In lab and animal studies, they promoted the growth of beneficial gut microbes, hinting that they might also boost digestive health in humans.
4. Beet greens supply bioactive ingredients.
Research described in ACS Engineering Au outlines a way to preserve the powerful compounds extracted from beet leaves for use in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Scientists created microparticles by drying a mixture of antioxidant-rich beet-green extract with an edible biopolymer. The resulting encapsulated particles not only remained stable but also showed greater antioxidant activity than the uncoated extract, suggesting that this process helps protect the bioactive ingredients from degradation.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal References:
Camille Carton, Josip Šafran, Sangeetha Mohanaraj, Romain Roulard, Jean-Marc Domon, Solène Bassard, Natacha Facon, Benoît Tisserant, Gaelle Mongelard, Laurent Gutierrez, Béatrice Randoux, Maryline Magnin-Robert, Jérôme Pelloux, Corinne Pau-Roblot, Anissa Lounès-Hadj Sahraoui. Valorization of Sugar Beet Byproducts into Oligogalacturonides with Protective Activity against Wheat Powdery Mildew. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2025; 73 (38): 24237 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05099[1]
Luiz Fernando de Sousa Antunes, André Felipe de Sousa Vaz, Giulia da Costa Rodrigues dos Santos, Talita dos Santos Ferreira, Renata Rodrigues dos Santos, Renata dos Santos Alves, Jaqueline Carvalho de Almeida, Marco Antonio de Almeida Leal, Maria Elizabeth Fernandes Correia. Replacing Commercial Substrate with Millicompost: A Sustainable Approach Using Different Green Wastes Combined with Millicompost for Bell Pepper Seedling Production in Urban Agriculture. ACS Omega, 2025; 10 (37): 43129 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c06388[2]
Wonchan Yoon, Miri Park, Guijae Yoo, Young-Soo Kim, Ho-Young Park. Bioactive Compounds and Health Benefits of Radish Greens. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2025; 73 (39): 24517 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08263[3]
Leonardo de Freitas Marinho, Stefania Mottola, Henrique Di Domenico Ziero, Larissa Castro Ampese, Mariarosa Scognamiglio, Iolanda De Marco, Ernesto Reverchon, Tânia Forster Carneiro. Evaluation of Microparticles Obtained from Beet Leaf Extracts (Beta vulgaris L.) Using Supercritical Assisted Atomization (SAA). ACS Engineering Au, 2025; DOI: 10.1021/acsengineeringau.5c00044[4]
Cite This Page:
American Chemical Society. "Scientists find gold hiding in food waste." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 October 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105518.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2025, October 12). Scientists find gold hiding in food waste. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 12, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105518.htm
American Chemical Society. "Scientists find gold hiding in food waste." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105518.htm (accessed October 12, 2025).
Dec. 4, 2024 Coconut palms are king throughout the tropics, serving as the foundation for human lives and cultures across the Pacific Ocean for centuries. However, 200 years of planting by colonial interests ...
Oct. 21, 2024 Household food waste is an important contributor to global food loss and waste and greenhouse gas emissions, but not much is known about what types of food are wasted the most and by whom. Now, ...
Aug. 23, 2023 New research suggests that natural selection, famous for rewarding advantageous differences in organisms, can also preserve similarities. The researchers worked with a plant called wild radish and ...
Feb. 23, 2022 Researchers have developed a way to improve crop quality without needing to create special genetically modified plants. The new technique relies on a spray that introduces bioactive molecules into ...
Jan. 13, 2022 Scientists have developed ways to decipher effects of the CO2 rise during the past 100 years on metabolic fluxes of the key plant species in peatlands, mosses. Analyses of cellulose in peat cores ...
Sep. 15, 2021 Coconut trees grow slowly and are difficult to clone. Scientists a multiplied seedlings faster and conserved coconut genetic resources for the long term. This will help preserve coconut tree ...
